


Sugar, Sugar

by SilverServerError



Category: CLAMP - Fandom, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: Hey, M/M, Ya’ll remember Baker!Fai?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-23
Updated: 2017-11-23
Packaged: 2019-02-06 00:52:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12806028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverServerError/pseuds/SilverServerError
Summary: Fai's favorite customer stops in for a visit.





	Sugar, Sugar

 

“I’m not saying I invented unicorns, Sakura. I'm just saying I wish people didn’t come in and assume I'm following a trend.”

“But unicorns are always popular.”

"Well, yes. For you. For girls." Fai all but melted onto the counter, chin in his hands as he moped. He gestured vaguely at the door. “Everyone else comes in, takes one look at my cupcakes and says, ‘Oh! Like Starbucks?’”

Sakura used to take these little fits seriously. Now she just paused in her sweeping to pat his shoulder.

“There, there, Fai.” she said politely. “I'll always know you’re not a meme.”

Fai huffed and reached into the display case, leaving the last unicorn cupcake but starting to nibble on a mini lava cake that hadn't sold as well that day. Sakura had learned quickly that though everything was delicious, if she wanted to go home without a stomach ache every day, pacing oneself was key. How Fai could perpetually snack on sweets was beyond her.

“Have you ever seen those galaxy cakes?”

“Mirror glaze?” Fai asked. Sakura shrugged, not being familiar with the term. “I mean, we could do them, certainly. But it takes a lot of time. Time I’m not sure we have if-”

Then he froze, staring through the windows of the store front, eyes narrowed at across the street.

“Fai?”

“He’s back!”

Fai quickly took one last bite of the cake, pushed the rest into Sakura’s hands and hurried to make himself look presentable. She made a small noise of surprise but retreated just behind the curve of the kitchen, not knowing exactly what to do with the cake but knowing a customer shouldn’t see her holding it like this. She watched as Fai settled into a fake casual stance just as Kurogane pushed the door open, making the bell chime softly.

“Back again?” Fai called out, teasing. “And here I thought you forgot about me.”

Kurogane walked forward to the counter, half suspicious, half pleased. “Late lunch,” he said simply.

“Very late,” Fai agreed, almost chiding. “Almost closing time. I'm afraid you won't have as much to choose from today.”

Kurogane’s focus shifted to the display. “That’s fine.” The only other times he'd been here were during his normal lunch break, and things were always a little too busy to really look at what the store had to offer. If anything, this was nicer, even with the reduced selection. A few lonely slices of whole cakes and tortes left. Some rows for pastries were empty while others still had a few for sale. “No macaroons left?”

“Just the ones there,” Fai said with a smile.

Kurogane frowned slightly, though, to be fair, that was not much of a difference from his normal expression. “She likes the lavender ones.”

Fai kept his professional smile on, but inside he felt that familiar drop. He'd been so sure this time. “She?” He asked politely.

“My- Friend of the family, I guess you could say.” 

"Ah!" Fai’s stomach did a little flip flop. Kurogane was so quick to clarify that if anything, he felt even more hopeful than he had been before.

“She used to attend classes around here, but since she started working across town, she can never get here in time to buy anything.”

“Oh?” Fai asked, forcing himself to focus even as his heart beat a little faster, “Was she a regular?”

Kurogane thought about it briefly, then started to gesture to demonstrate. “About this tall. Long black hair to about-”

“Tomoyo?”

Kurogane looked taken aback. “You know her name?”

Fai laughed sweetly. “Of course! She spent a few days a week studying here.” He pointed to the booth in the corner. “That was her table. She'd sit there all afternoon drinking coffee and keeping us company.”

Kurogane smiled at it, almost more a smirk.

“How is she doing?” Fai asked, “It’s so good to hear she found a position.”

Kurogane shrugged, his expression that mix of fond and annoyed it always was when he thought of her. “She’s doing fine.” It felt weird talking about her like this to someone who was essentially a stranger, but Fai seemed honestly interested, so he kept going. “She got her second choice firm, but the people there are giving her real work to do, which is promising.”

Fai smiled wide, “Tell me the next time you’ll be in. I'd love to make her something special to celebrate!”

Kurogane laughed under his breath, but pounced on the opportunity he'd been waiting for. “Sure, just give me your number and I can call ahead.” There. Totally legitimate. Not awkward at all.

Kurogane could almost see the gears turning, followed by Fai’s eyes widening, and the grin growing a little bigger.

“Yes!” Fai agreed, and though it was unspoken, they both knew this was about more than Tomoyo and a cake. “Good idea.” Fai took a business card and pen, then used the glass-top counter to write his personal number on the back, “In case it's outside of hours,” he clarified.

Kurogane met his eye in a way that made Fai shiver oh so pleasantly as he handed over the card. Then he glanced at the display, relenting. But it was too late. Fai’s stomach was already full of warm, fluttering butterflies.

“She’ll like that,” Kurogane said calmly, wandering down the counter, looking at what was left. Giving him space and letting him recover.

Fai was simultaneously relieved and helpless to follow, just barely trailing on his own side of the counter.

“She’s always complaining about missing it here.”

“Well, that's very flattering.”

“I don't know if it was just the food,” Kurogane grinned.

“Oh?”

Kurogane looked Fai up and down, seeming to judge if he was trustworthy with the information. In the end he shrugged, lowering his voice a touch. “She's got this crush on one of your assistants.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sakura almost drop, then at the last second catch the broom before it could clatter to the floor.

“You don't say?” Fai smiled, resisting the urge to look at the one and only apprentice that had ever worked the bakery with him. “I wonder which one.”

Kurogane just shrugged and smiled, apparently drawing the line there.

“You know, Kurogane, why don't you bring her by sometime?”

He seemed surprised by the offer. “She works till five every day. Like I said, she'd be here herself if-”

Fai waved his hand like that didn't mean anything. “How about this weekend? Saturday?”

“You don't open on Saturdays.”

“No, not... Just a little party for her. To celebrate.” Kurogane looked hesitant, but Fai kept going, casually picking out a few things and packing them in one of their fancier boxes. “It's the least we can do. She was my most loyal customer for so long.”

“Are you sure?” He asked skeptically.

“Absolutely,” Fai said warmly, handing it over the counter.

“What-?” Kurogane looked at the box almost in surprise. He'd been more concentrated on what Fai was saying than what he'd been doing.

“On the house,” Fai said with a wink.

Kurogane protested politely, but eventually accepted it.

“This weekend?” Fai asked, smiling so wide it was almost starting to hurt.

“I think she’ll be free,” Kurogane caught his eye, expression hinting at something more. “I’ll call you.”

And with one trailing look he was gone, out the door, turning the corner and out of sight. Fai watched him go with a pleased sigh, then finally, looked straight at Sakura. She was blushing almost as pink as the unicorn cupcakes.

“Well,” he said, pushing off the counter and almost floating to the kitchen. “Looks like we’ve got work to do.”     


End file.
